Dear Editor,
If we were to peruse trade union history in British Guiana (Guyana) it would make interesting reading. Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow and Ayube Edun were some of the early stalwarts of this noble movement. In those austere colonial days’ trade union leaders and workers risked dismissal, prosecution, imprisonment or death. These pioneers set the standards which have not been maintained as time elapsed.
The work environment has changed dramatically with the advent of computers and other forms of advanced technology. The world continues to witness the fantastic breakthrough of science and marvellous new inventions. Hence, there is less emphasis on manual labour. Even though Guyana has experienced this Renaissance there is still a great percentage of workers in the field as farmers, both skilled and semi-skilled employees. So the trade union can still play a pivotal role in representing the interests of its members.
There has been a paradigm shift in the way unions treat their members. Lots of aggrieved members complain that their leaders are on management’s payroll and do not represent them properly when they have grievances with the employer; even the Ministry of Labour allegedly does not give justice. Trade union leaders should be principled in dealing with employees’ welfare because they receive dues to perform.
There should be ongoing courses to educate all categories of workers. Shop stewards should be present to underscore the union’s aims and objectives and deal with problems on the spot. All forms of protest and work stoppage should be avoided and used as a last resort after all attempts at peaceful negotiations have failed. Unions must tell workers when they are wrong. There should be justice on all sides: the employer, the union and the workers.
Finally, there is a popular trend in Guyana whereby some trade union leaders are immersed in politics and seem to have serious political ambitions. Let them clearly understand that they cannot serve efficiently both at the level of the political establishment and that of the trade union movement. Parliament should revise and improve all aspects of trade union law with the help of the International Labour Organisation
Yours faithfully,
Malcolm Maynard